Tonneau covers have been used for a number of years to cover the cargo box of pickup trucks against dirt, debris, and other environmental contaminants and to improve the aesthetic quality thereof. Originally, tonneau covers were designed by upholstery shops and typically made of vinyl covered fabrics or canvas. The material was often doubled over along its edges for added strength and appearance. Male snaps were then attached to the sides of the cargo box of the pickup truck via fasteners, while female snaps were attached along the edges of the cover. Wooden bows were sometimes used to span the cargo box and ensure that the cover remained high enough to drain water. Unfortunately, these covers were sometimes difficult to handle and/or manufacture, and occasionally failed to protect the cargo box.
More recently, foldable tonneau covers are often more desirable in that the conveniently cover the bed of the pickup truck for cargo protection. However, when not in use, the foldable tonneau cover may be folded toward the rear of the passenger cabin. Generally, foldable tonneau covers include a frame network of cross bows, a tarp or covering operably coupled to and spanning the frame network, a latching system for coupling the frame network to the pickup truck and a means for stowing the latching system, and a hinge system for hingedly coupled adjacent sections of the foldable tonneau cover. However, the known prior art fails to maximize the ease and effectiveness of foldable tonneau covers and, thus, many foldable tonneau covers suffer from numerous disadvantages.
By way of example, existing latching systems generally employ an over center cam lock arrangement to fasten the tonneau cover in place relative to the pickup truck. The cam lock hooks onto the downwardly projecting flange of the truck bed. This cam lock is adjustable by rotating a threaded cam pivot to permit attachment of the latching system to pickup trucks with differing length downwardly projecting flanges. However, this adjustment mechanism leads to various problems or failures by users. For instance, if the user adjusts the cam lock too tight, the cam lock may break or fracture the plastic bow(s) in the frame network of the tonneau cover. It should be readily appreciated that such a failure may lead to the tonneau cover becoming loose and blowing off from the vehicle. Alternatively, the cam lock may be fastened loosely, which again may lead to the tonneau cover becoming loose and blowing off. Still further, it is possible that the cam lock may be inadvertently pushed back over center by movement of cargo or the like, which again may lead to the tonneau cover becoming loose. Finally, conventional cam locks and/or clamps often require the clamp to be manipulated to properly align with the truck bed.
When conventional foldable tonneau covers are stowed, that is when the tonneau cover is folded and positioned generally adjacent the passenger cabin, it is important to ensure that any clamps or latching members are properly stowed to prevent puncture of the cover material. To this end, presently conventional latch systems must be rotated, folded up, clipped to the side and rotated, and then folded flat for no puncture stowage. As should be readily appreciated, this is a complex procedure that often leads to inadvertent damage to the tonneau cover.
Similarly, conventional foldable tonneau covers often employ an attachment that slides within a receiving groove to retain the tarp or covering to the frame network or bows. Although this technique serves to generally prevent the tarp or covering from becoming disengaged from the frame network, assembly of such is often burdensome due to the sliding nature of the attachment. In fact, these sliding attachments often require the complete disassembly of the tonneau cover to repair the tarp or covering. Additionally, due to the need to gain access to the ends of the frame network or bows to receive the sliding attachment member, alternative assembly sequences are limited.
Furthermore, it is obvious that in order for a foldable tonneau cover to fold, a hinge system must be provided. However, conventional hinge systems suffer from many disadvantages. For example, when using a single pivot hinge, the tarp or covering may be pinched near the bend area. This may lead to failure, in the form of a tear or rip, of the tarp or covering, thereby exposing the contents of the cargo box to the environment. Accordingly, there exists a need in the relevant art to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.